With Deepest Sympathy - Johnny Mains

I've read two stories so far. The first, naturally, and then, on Johnny's insistence, the very last. I can see why.
Reconvened: The Judge's House is a brilliant modernisation of the Stoker classic, concerning a writer, ironically, who specialises in modernising old classics by such as M. R. James and Ambrose Bierce. The repercussions of this practice come home to her in a way she never expected, which distortedly mirrors the last tale: Final Draft, in which Johnny himself makes an appearance under the name of Toby Cuthbertson - and a Pan author Septimus Dale, who does more than just write about torture and violence... This is a true Pan Horror in more ways than one, making one wonder about the sanity of some of that series' contributors. Or its keenest fan! [image error]
I like Johnny's plain, straightforward writing style, which gets on with storytelling first and foremost. It's hard to believe this is his first collection.